Power rolling apparatus



Sept. 4, 1962 c. H. BEALE POWER ROLLING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 17, 1958 mmms'fl Zeal? 3 p423 *M Se t. 4, 1962 c. H. BEALE 3,052,167

POWER ROLLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rates j 3 Q6 3,652,1b7

Patented Sept. 4, 1962 3,952,167 POWER ROLLING APPARATUS Charles H. Beale, Needham, Mass, assignor to Warren Brothers Roads Company, Cambridge, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed st. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 767,891 2 Claims. (Cl. 94-50) This invention relates to power rollers to be used in compacting soils and other loosely-organized materials, e.g. road and sidewalk surfacing materials such as sand, gravel and asphalt.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a power roller, compact in size, which is easily disassembled for replacement of the main rollers or for repairs to the driving mechanism; to provide a power roller which will compact soils and surfacing materials in areas immediately adjacent to walls, curbs and abutments; to provide a power roller which may be ramp-loaded onto transporting means under its own power; to provide a power roller which may be safely operated; and to provide a power roller which will function with a minimum of operator effort.

According to the present invention, the apparatus comprises two hollow, cylindrical main rollers each having an annular track on its inner surface, said rollers being disposed in axially spaced relation with a gap between them; a frame wholly Within the main rollers, said frame having for each annular track a plurality of drive rolls engaging the track to hold the main rollers in said spaced relation, said drive rolls providing substantially the whole support for the frame; and means supported on the frame for driving the drive rolls.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the main rollers have raised annular ribs or tracks centrally located on the inner circumference of the rollers and are held in axially spaced relation by drive rolls comp-rising trunnions having double-flanged wheels which straddle said annular ribs. Idler rolls are pivotally mounted on the frame to engage said annular tracks in such a manner that adjustment of the idler rolls secures or releases the engagement of the drive rolls and the annular tracks. Alternatively, the main rollers may be provided with annular recesses in the inner roller circumferences forming tracks to receive drive rolls. In that instance, the drive rolls may comprise trunnions having straight-faced wheels. The means for driving the drive rolls are preferably mounted directly on the frame within the main rollers but said means may be supported on the frame externally of the rollers.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, an auxiliary roller arm is mounted beneath the frame and extended through the gap between the main rollers to hold an auxiliary roller exteriorly of the main rollers at either ide of said gap. Action of the drive rolls rotating the main rollers in either direction causes the rearward auxiliary roller to bear on the material to be compacted minimizing operator effort in control of rotation of the apparatus and also rolling fiat the ridge in the material to be compacted left by the gap between the main rollers. The auxiliary roller support may be adjustable so that the auxiliary rollers can be retracted to avoid contact with the material to be compacted, whereby, during initial passes over loosely-organized materials, said rollers will not plow narrow furrows therein, and whereby, upon subsequent passes over said materials, the auxiliary rollers may be locked in lowered position to roll flat the ridges left between the main rollersv Control means are also preferably extended from the frame through the gap between the main rollers to keep the outer, axial ends of the main rollers free from extensions.

For the purpose of illustration, a particular embodiment of the invention is shown in which FIG. 1 is a side elevation with the main rollers partially cut away;

FIG. 2 is a plan view with the main rollers partially cut away;

FIG. 3 is a rear view partially in section along line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a partial plan view of the control means.

The embodiment of the invention shown in the figures comprises two hollow main rollers 2, each having an internal annular track 4 secured to its inner surface, and a frame 5 disposed wholly within the rollers. The frame 5 comprises a bed plate 9 to which is secured an inverted U-shaped bracket 10 having sloping side portions 11 and a horizontal top portion 12. Mounted on the base plate 9 are two pairs of bearings 8 in which are journaled shafts 7 respectively carrying two drive rolls 6. The drive rolls have flanges straddling the annular tracks 4 so that when the two pairs of drive rolls ride on the tracks of the respective main rollers, they hold the main rollers 2 in axially spaced relation. If the annular tracks 4 are replaced with similarly located annular recesses in the main rollers 2, the drive rolls 6 may comprise trunnions having straight-faced wheels which may be accommodated in the recesses to hold the main rollers in axially spaced relation.

On the horizontal top plate 12 are two bearing blocks 14 supporting a pin 16 which pivotally supports a tilting bracket 15. On the tilting bracket 15, hearing blocks 18 and an axle 2i support a pair of idler rolls 22. The tilting bracket is engaged by a screw 26 abutting the bracket and threaded through a nut 28 secured to the top frame portion 12. The screw 26 is turned by the hand wheel 24 which urges the idler rolls 20 into engagement with the annular tracks 4 thereby locking the frame to the main rollers 2 by means of the three-point contact on each main roller provided by one idler roll and two drive rolls. The idler roll can be retracted from the track to permit removal of the main rollers.

Mounted on the frame 5 is a motor 29 connected by a shaft coupling 31 to a reversing transmission 30. Drive sprockets 32 mounted on a transmission shaft 33 drive two sprocket chains 34 coupled to sprocket wheels 36 keyed to the drive rolls 6.

Extending out through the space between the two main rollers 2 is a plate 44 secured to one frame side portion 11 by angles 46. Secured to the plate 44 is a tubular housing 43 enclosing a control rod 48 for a crank 4-9 on the transmission 30. The rod 48 is adjusted by a hand lever 47. At the outer end of the housing 43 is a throttle '53 connected by a Bowden cable 56 to a motor speed control not shown. Similarly, leads 45 from the motor ignition (not shown) may be brought between the rollers 2 and along or through the housing 43 to an ignition switch 45a affixed to a crosspiece 42 at the outer end of the housing. This location of the drive control means, and particularly the ignition switch, permits safe operation of the roller by allowing the operator to exercise complete control over the roller motor at all times.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that all the control and drive elements of the main rollers 2 are supported on the frame 5 which in turn is located entirely within the main rollers without any lateral projection beyond the axial outer ends of the main rollers. This permits compaction of soils and surfacing materials closely adjacent curbs, walls and abutments. The frame is supported on the main rollers and at the same time holds the main rollers in spaced predetermined relation with a small gap between the two rollers through which the speed and transmission controls, together with their supporting plate 44 extend.

While the structure so far described is practical in itself, preferably there is an arm 38 attached to the base plate 9 of the frame 5 which extends exteriorly of the main rollers through the gap therebetween. Brackets 37 hav ing auxiliary tollow rollers, 39 and 4d, journaled therein are pivotally attached to the arm 33 by means of rivet head pivot pins 41. The roller may be operated with the follow rollers in the lowered position as shown in the figures by full lines. In that instance, the locking pins, 39a and 40a, are pressed through the holes 370 in the brackets and 38a in the arm to lock the follow rollers in the lowered position. The follow rollers are then aligned with the gap between the main rollers and are located radially from the axis of the main rollers such that only one follow roller 'bears on the ground at one time. When the transmission connects the motor to the drive rolls, the frame rocks rearward'ly until the rear follow roller 39 rests on the ground. When the transmission is reversed, the frame rocks so that the forward roller 40 rests on the ground. In operation, a small hill ahead of the main rollers tends to rock the frame back on the proper follow roller. Because each roller is aligned with the gap between the main rollers 2, one of the rollers will follow the gap Whether the main rollers are driven forwardly or in reverse. It the main rollers are rolling a soft material which forms a ridge in the gap, one of the follow rollers will roll down the ridge. If, however, the material to be compacted is very loosely organized, the brackets 37 may be raised to the retracted position shown in phantom lines (see FIG. 1) and may be locked in that position by passing the locking pins 39a and 4021, through the holes 37a in the brackets 38b in the arm. In that position, the follow rollers will not contact the material to Ibe compacted and will not tend to plow furrows in said material.

If necessary, additional weight may be hung underneath the base plate 9 to locate the center of gravity of the frame and the elements supported thereon below the plane of contact between the drive roll and main rollers so that the frame will tend to float in horizontal position, but will undergo a gentle rocking motion when the rollers are started or reversed in direction without any effort on the part of the opera-tor and without danger of excessively tipping the frame. A guard plate 54 is secured by nuts 57 to a bracket 56 so as to cover the sprockets and chains, and yet permit ready access to the same for changing the gear ratio. The frictional drive between rolls 6 and the rollers 2 afi'ords an inexpensive coupling which is low in power loss but which permits one main roller 2 to rotate to a certain degree relative to the other thereby to facilitate turning of the apparatus. The frictional drive may, however, be tightened -by adjustment of the head wheel 24 to drive the main rollers up a steep incline, for example of 25 to 30. With the friction drive thus in tight engagement, the roller may be ramp-loaded on a truck under its own power with complete safety. Similarly, the roller may be safely unloaded from a truck along a ramp since the braking action of the motor will inhibit any ten- 115. dency of the roller to accelerate while rolling down the ramp.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Compaction rolling apparatus comprising a pair of hollow, cylindrical main rollers, said main rollers being of substantial width axially and being in coaxial relation spaced apart a distance substantially less than their combined width to provide a wide rolling surface, each of said main rollers having an annular track on its inner surface, a frame within said main rollers, for each track a plurality of rolls on the frame shaped to engage the track axially and positively hold the main rollers in said spaced relation, means on the frame to drive said track engaging rolls and cause movement of said main rollers, means on the frame extending through the space between said main rollers for controlling movement of the main rollers, said track engaging rolls providing the only connection between and the only drive for said main rollers and also supporting the frame and controlling means on said main rollers so that substantially the entire weight of said frame and controlling means is borne by said main rollers, said track engaging rolls including an idler roll on said frame, and adjustable means urging said idler roll against said track and permitting retraction of the idler roll from the track to allow disengagement of the track engaging rolls from the track and detachment of the main rollers from the frame.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said idler roll is mounted on a pivoted arm urged by a screw toward said track.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 797,269 Delp Aug. 15, 1905 1,282,329 Turner Oct. 22, 1918 1,302,638 Daniels May 6, 1919 1,757,691 Thompson May 6, 1930 1,811,394 Hornsby June 23, 1931 2,055,974 Greiner Sept. 29, 1936 2,215,455 Abernathy et al Sept. 24, 1940 2,549,182 Ekenstam Apr. 17, 1951 2,582,199 Gardner et al Jan. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 301,966 Great Britain Dec. 13, 1928 404,439 Great Britain Jan. 18, 1934 806,686 France Dec. 22, 1936 101,648 Australia July 19, 1937 267,637 Switzerland July 1, 1950 143,961 Australia Oct. 25, 1951 538,912 Italy Feb. 1, 1956 

